X's On A Calendar
by dinochainsaw
Summary: Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and eventually Apollo finds his calendar filled with "x"'s. Not a day goes by that he doesn't think about Klavier Gavin and his sudden disappearance. As his wait prolongs itself, he finds that absence really does make the heart grow fonder.


***A/N: I honestly have no idea why I haven't written fanfiction for the Ace Attorney series. I've been playing the games since the very beginning. I haven't finished Dual Destinies yet(I'm on case 4) but I'm going to soon. I don't know if Klavier shows up again, or if this story even fits in the timeline, but just pretend this doesn't contradict anything that's happened in the game. Also, there's some Phoenix/Edgeworth in here. And there's references to the fan made comic compilation manga. Can you spot them all? As always, thanks for reading and please review(especially if you found the references)!**

* * *

****SPOILER ALERT FOR APOLLO JUSTICE: ACE ATTORNEY AND CASE 3 OF DUAL DESTINIES****

***DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters I use in this story.**

* * *

"Hey, Klavier. It's me, Apollo. Call back when you can."

The words come out in a rush, vowels and consonants blurring together. Apollo runs a hand through his hair. He didn't bother to gel up his spikes today, deciding that he needed a day alone in his shabby apartment. He wouldn't be alone in the first place, had Klavier answered his phone. They probably would've talked for hours, German words popping up here and there and Apollo would on their throaty sounds.

He's intrigued, but glad nevertheless, by how comfortable he feels around Klavier. He always hears about the butterflies and nerves and things alike, but never about someone feeling comfortable around their crush(God, how he hates the term "crush"). So it was a surprise, to say the least, when he discovered that his words simply rolled off his tongue and his heartbeat regulated itself when he spoke to Klavier.

Then again, Klavier isn't really Apollo's "crush." Their relationship is a bit too complex to define, as they're a bit more than friends but just short of dating. Apollo never knows how to introduce Klavier, unsure of if he should refer to him as his friend or his boyfriend. Usually, he'd avoid the topic completely and sometimes go as far as to ignore Klavier in hopes whoever he's speaking to won't make an inquiry about their relationship. He'd never met anyone so curious about his personal life until he met Trucy and Mr. Wright. They badgered him for days on end after his second case, wondering just what Klavier meant when he beamed one of his precious smiles. This lead to the inevitable flushing of Apollo's cheeks and a phone call to Klavier to hear his side of the story.

Apollo leans back on his emerald couch, lazily chewing potato chips and flipping through TV channels. According to CNN, nothing had been happening in the world besides the President's apology for Obamacare. He continues to scroll through the TV menu until he finds the CW playing a Supernatural rerun. He settles on watching the episode, occasionally breaking eye contact with the TV to check his phone.

Klavier still hasn't called back.

* * *

A week later and Apollo decides to go calendar shopping.

Hastings has a small selection of calendars, but then again, he isn't expecting a mostly movie rental/book/CD store to have a wide variety of calendars. Unfortunately, most of them have kittens on them, and he's looking for a calendar that would suit him. He can practically hear Trucy telling him to get a plain one through her giggles. Besides, he's more of a dog person.

He fingers through the calendars and finds one with guitars littering the cover.

If he can properly remember what Klavier had taught him about guitars, the tan acoustic one is a Mitchell and the red electric one is a Gibson. He eventually gives up on trying to identify each guitar and brings the calendar up to the cash register.

When he gets home, he scrambles for a Sharpie and finds October 10th. He draws an asterisk on the square and begins crossing "x's" onto every square after until he reaches the 18th, the current date.

He grimaces at the 8 "x's" that sit on his calendar.

October 10th was the last day he saw Klavier.

* * *

A month passes agonizingly slow, "x's" beginning to overtake his guitar calendar, and Apollo has yet to see Klavier.

His memory of their last meeting is a little fuzzy-he was so overjoyed with the fact Vera had awakened that he didn't pay much attention to him. The more he thinks about Klavier, the more he forgets about him. Klavier's eyes, his beautiful eyes-were they blue or gray? And as for his blonde hair, Apollo couldn't quite remember just how long it was. Even the Gavinners symbol is lost somewhere in his head, and Apollo doesn't want to do anything but cry.

The tears just flow, spilling lost memories onto his red T-shirt. Even his shirt, drenched in tears, smells like Klavier's laundry detergent. It's the only thing he really remembers about Klavier.

The smell of the shirt, the faint detergent, brings back the memories he'd temporarily lost in the midst of his angst. He closes his eyes and can practically see Klavier standing in his small laundry room. Klavier's laughing, his blue eyes rolling back like the tides. His hair is just between his shoulder blades-which Apollo can see jutting out from underneath his thin cotton shirt.

And suddenly, everything feels okay.

* * *

"I don't think you're feeling well, Apollo. I don't think you should take on a case." Mr. Wright furrows his eyebrows.

"Well, I haven't been feeling well for two months." Apollo laughs, trying to smile. Isn't that what Mr. Wright taught him? To smile, even when things get bad?

Mr. Wright finishes his bottle of grape juice and leans back. "You know, I was in a predicament like yours, once upon a time."

"What predicament?" Apollo scoffs. "This isn't a predicament."

Mr. Wright ignores him. "When I was still a rookie, there was this guy I faced in court all the time. Everyone thought we were rivals. Ironically, we were the best of friends growing up. He was the reason I became a lawyer, actually. Because when-well, that's a story for another time. Anyways, he changed a lot over the years. We eventually befriended each other again and arrived at the stage that you're at with Klavier-where you're more than friends but not dating."

Apollo wants to bring up the fact that Mr. Wright had never came out to him or disclosed his sexuality, but decides against it.

"Then, one day, he disappeared. I waited for so long, Apollo." He smiles, and Apollo swears he can see a tear run down his cheek. "But he came back and he was better than ever. But he didn't feel the same as he did before he left."

Apollo frowns. After a brief moment of silence, he gets up to leave. "I don't think I'll take the case. I'm going back to my apartment to rest. Have a good day, Mr. Wright."

Before he can make his exit, Mr. Wright speaks, one last time.

"I don't think he wanted to remember it. He didn't forget." The words are distorted by Mr. Wright's now-hoarse voice. It's then that Apollo realizes that he's crying.

Apollo opens the door, quickly turning his head back and flashing a smile. "Maybe he thought you forgot, too. Maybe he was just scared."

"Let's hope Klavier doesn't forget." Mr. Wright wipes away his tears and smiles back.

When Apollo closes the door to his apartment, he grabs his Sharpie and scribes another "x" onto his calendar. The whole month of November has been covered in "x's," and Apollo tries hard to fight back the tears.

* * *

When Apollo wakes up Christmas morning, there's a strong smell of peppermint lingering in the air. He pulls the blankets off of him and sits up on the leather couch. He decided to spend Christmas with Trucy and Mr. Wright, after all, the holidays are nothing but ruined if you're alone.

"Polly! I made peppermint hot chocolate but..." Trucy trails off. "I think I messed up."

Mr. Wright walks in, yawning and pressing his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. "Merry Christmas!"

"Daddy, the kitchen-"

As soon as Mr. Wright sets foot in the kitchen, smoke and the smell of something burning greets him. He can make out three mugs sitting on the island, sitting in a pool of hot brown liquid. The smoke is coming from the skillet on the stove. There's a pot alongside it with something boiling inside.

"I thought you were making hot chocolate!" Mr. Wright yells, his eyes wide in shock.

"Well, I tried to add peppermint and as you can see, that didn't go so well." Trucy knocks her head gently with her fist and giggles.

"I think you lost your kitchen." Apollo says, staring into the smoke filled room.

Needless to say, the trio doesn't have Christmas breakfast for quite some time.

* * *

The gift opening, although it takes place at around three o'clock, is still eventful. Apollo finds a new red vest from Trucy wrapped in glitter-covered paper and a bracelet for him to wear on the other arm from Mr. Wright in a small cardboard box. Trucy stumbles upon a whole new magician's costume from Apollo and a magatama(which she describes as a glowing stone shaped like the number nine) and a new pair of magic panties from her father. Mr. Wright receives a new beanie from Apollo and a "Piano for Dummies" book along with a bottle of grape juice from Trucy.

Afterwards, Mr. Wright teaches Trucy how to make peppermint hot chocolate the _right way_ and instructs Apollo to have a fire extinguisher ready when Trucy tries to cook in the future. They're all sitting on the couch after their short lesson on fire safety, watching "It's A Wonderful Life" and a variety of Lifetime movies as a way to pass the time before dinner.

At about 11 o'clock the Wrights send Apollo on his way, driving him back to his apartment complex.

He quickly snatches the Sharpie top off and draws "x's" onto the two squares he missed while staying at Mr. Wright's house. He flips back two pages and stares at all the "x's" he's drawn.

There are 76 in all.

Apollo hasn't seen Klavier in 76 days-and he still can't stop thinking about him, no matter how many times he tries to distract himself.

All he can think about is Klavier. The smell of peppermint resembles the smell of Klavier's hair-his gorgeous blonde hair. The hot chocolate he drank couldn't warm him the same way Klavier did when he held him. The red vest just reminds him of all the days he spent in court with him, trying to look his best knowing he would be under his shockingly blue eyes.

76 days and Apollo hasn't ceased to think about Klavier.

Not even in his dreams.

* * *

_"Good morning, Herr Forehead." Klavier's accent is strong, ringing in Apollo's ears._

_Apollo smiles up at him. "Good morning."_

_Klavier plants a kiss on the younger's cheek, and Apollo can feel his lips curving upwards. Klavier kisses the corner of Apollo's mouth, laughing at the younger's complaints. _

_"God, can't you just give me an actual kiss already?" Apollo whines._

_Without another thought, Klavier presses his lips against Apollo's, locking them together for a few seconds before breaking away. Apollo gazes at Klavier, taking in every detail. His cheekbones, his sea blue eyes, his blonde hair all mussed up..._

_It's perfect. Undeniably perfect._

_"You're perfect." Apollo whispers, placing his hand on Klavier's cheek and rubbing circles onto the soft skin with his thumb. _

_"Look in the mirror, Herr Forehead." Klavier smiles._

_Apollo laughs at the cheesiness of his words, how sappily romantic they are. _

_"I love you, Klavier." Apollo says slowly, putting emphasis on every word._

_That's when Klavier slowly backs away, his smiling eyes fading into something Apollo can't recognize. He pulls his lips into a tight line and shakes his head. Apollo reaches out towards him, but Klavier flinches at his touch._

_"I, Apollo, I-" The smooth prosecutor began to stutter, stumbling on his words._

_"Klavier, what's wrong?" Apollo asks confusedly._

_"Is this love?" Klavier answers. "Is this really love that you're feeling?"_

_Apollo nods confidently. "I love y-"_

_"You haven't even seen me in two months! This isn't love! You've created this whole perfect memory of me and I'm not living up to it!" Klavier yells._

_"But you are perfect! I couldn't possibly have created a perfect memory of you!" Apollo retorts._

_Klavier shakes his head again and a tear spills from his right eye. _

_"Then why are you dreaming this?"_

Apollo sits up in his bed, wiping away the tears falling from his eyes.

* * *

The calendar winds up in the trash on December 31st.

The page for December is damp. The last "x" is in pen, the ink staining the entire square after being wet. Apollo stares at his trash can for a moment before walking away.

He grabs his cell phone and scrolls through his contacts until he finds Klavier's. He hesitates to hit the call button. The phone rings four times before he hears Klavier's voicemail.

"Hallo! I can't answer the phone right now, so...you know what to do, ja?"

Then the phone falls out of Apollo's hand. He drops to the floor, holding his head in his hands.

* * *

On April 18th, Apollo sets foot into the courtroom for the first time in six months. He's facing a different prosecutor in court today-Simon Blackquill. To be frank, he scares Apollo. Apollo would take Klavier's smug personality over his frightening demeanor any day.

Then again, Apollo would take Klavier over anything any day. It's been half a year since he's last seen him, and even though it stings just to think about him, he's managed to take on a case in spite of his emotional turmoil. It's refreshing to work with new people, visit new places, and find the truth behind crimes again-the reasons why he wanted to become a lawyer and not an astronaut(although that was definitely his second option).

In fact, he's managed to cope with Klavier's absence through the Tenma Taro case-no matter how offsetting the prosecution is.

* * *

When the Judge hands down the verdict, confetti is thrown, as it always is, at the end of the trial. Mr. Wright had told him that a man(Shoegum? Apollo can't remember his name) would always sit in the gallery with a bucket full of confetti for the verdict. It made trials seem a lot less tense and serious than they actually are. It's as if the confetti is being thrown to make the gallery forget they were discussing murder just moments ago.

Athena grins and claps along with Trucy once they get outside. "We did it, Apollo!"

Mr. Wright pats him on the back and gives him a smile. "You did good. You too, Athena."

Athena laughs. "It was nothing, really."

"Nothing short of amazing!" Trucy exclaims. "The Mood Matrix is amazing! It's like magic!"

"The Mood Matrix is nothing like magic." Apollo says, smiling all the while. "It's on a _way_ higher level than your magic panties."

"Well, what you did out there was magic." Trucy answers. "Bluffing your way through the trial like a pro!"

"What bluffing?" Widget chimes in.

Trucy's eyes widen upon hearing its voice. "What is that?"

"Its name is Widget." Athena explains, pulling Trucy over to the side to give her a better look at Widget.

Mr. Wright looks at Apollo and pats him on the back again. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." Apollo replies shortly. There's a moment of silence between the two. "Do you think Klavier forgot or doesn't want to remember?"

Mr. Wright shakes his head. "He couldn't have."

"Then why?" Apollo asks.

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself." Mr. Wright says. "Seek the truth like you did in court today."

"I can't seek the truth without any knowledge at all." Apollo mutters. "I'll never find the truth if I never see Klavier again."

"Then hope." Mr. Wright answers. "Bluffing isn't the same as hope. What you had in court today was hope, not bluffs. And everything was resolved in the end."

* * *

"He's a little creepy, isn't he?" Athena asks quietly, jerking her thumb towards Professor Means as he exits the lecture hall.

Apollo nods. "He's got a weird smile."

"Not to mention a disturbing mindset!" Athena exclaims. "_The end justifies the means!_" She mimics his deep voice.

Apollo can't resist laughing. After regaining his composure and clearing his throat, he takes a look at the setup for the mock trial and notes how realistic the defense and prosecution benches look. "Well, since the murder is exactly like the mock trial, it wouldn't hurt to look over what happened."

Athena grins and nods her head enthusiastically. "Right!"

"But how do we go about that?" Apollo murmurs, racking his brain for ideas.

Then he hears this heavy German accent ringing in his ears.

"Maybe I can help you with that, ja?"

He spins around to see none other than Klavier beaming his signature smile right at him. He feels his knees weaken and worries that he may faint from shock. He can't take his eyes off of him, his cheekbones, his blue eyes, and _God_, his hair. It's all he's wanted to see for six months-_six months_. He wished, prayed, and hoped for Klavier every single day-and there he is in the flesh.

Once he comes to his senses, he turns to face Athena. "Can you go check the crime scene, Athena? Find any witnesses that are going to testify in court tomorrow. That cardboard box looked pretty suspicious."

"But I thought we were going to review the mock trial!" Athena protests.

"Well, now I want you to talk to the witnesses." Apollo pauses. "Go on, now." He waves his bracelet-clad hand towards the exit.

Athena groans and walks away, off to search what was in the cardboard box they'd seen earlier.

"I could've helped you, you know." Klavier laughs. "The one time I offer help and you don't take it."

Apollo doesn't answer for a while. He's already preoccupied trying to convince himself that it's actually Klavier standing before him; that it's not a dream.

"I waited six months!" Apollo yells. "I waited six months for you! All for you!"

He lets himself go. The tears start falling and Klavier tugs Apollo into a hug. The younger's tears wet Klavier's purple jacket, but he doesn't mind.

"I waited so long, Klavier." Apollo sniffles. "I had a calendar and I 'x'ed out all the days that you were gone. I had this dream about you and after that I thought I'd never see you again and just..." He trails off, unsure if he's making any sense. Klavier rubs Apollo's lower back comfortingly.

"I know, Herr Forehead." He whispers against Apollo's cheek. "I know you did." When Apollo feels his warm breath on his cheek, he knows Klavier understands every word that's pouring out of his mouth.

Apollo pulls back just enough to get a good look at Klavier. "Did you forget about...us?"

Klavier laughed, his eyes rolling back like tides. "Of course I didn't. How could I forget you?"

Apollo shakes his head in confusion. He remembers Mr. Wright's words: _"Seek the truth like you did in court today."_ He clears his throat and tightens his grip on Klavier's arm. "Then why? Why did you leave?"

Klavier's face falls. "That trial was hard for me, Apollo. I saw my brother, who practically raised me, as he really is-a monster. I couldn't accept it. I saw his execution, Apollo. He was laughing!" A tear runs down his tan cheek. "And he died with that insane look on his face. I could barely breathe while I watched them inject those poisons into him."

Klavier pauses and lets his head fall onto Apollo's shoulder. "I was just...shaken. Everything reminded me of him and I just couldn't get that image of his lifeless body out of my head. I was scared, Apollo."

"So that's why you left..." Apollo murmurs, staring at the blonde curl in Klavier's hair.

"I wouldn't have left without a reason." Klavier seems to have regained his composure.

There's a moment of silence as Klavier leans down to kiss Apollo.

"I love you, Apollo." Klavier says against his lips. Apollo can feel him smiling.

"I love you, too."

And when Klavier kisses him again, Apollo knows it's not a dream.


End file.
